Tristan Stubbs and Temba Bavuma hit centuries to put South Africa in an impregnable position before their bowlers dismissed five Sri Lankan batsmen on the third day of the first Test at Kingsmead on Friday. Stubbs (122) and Bavuma (113) ground down the Sri Lankan bowlers in a fourth wicket stand of 249 before South Africa declared their second innings at tea after scoring 366 for five. Set a massive 516 to win, Sri Lanka were 103 for five at the close.
Although it was an improvement on their record low of 42 all out in the first innings, the Sri Lankan batsmen again struggled against South Africa’s fast bowlers.
Kagiso Rabada and first innings destroyer Marco Jansen took two wickets apiece and Gerald Coetzee claimed one.
Resuming at 132 for two on Friday morning, Stubbs and Bavuma removed any hopes the tourists may have had of playing their way back into the match.
They played largely risk-free cricket in adding 101 in 33 overs before lunch.
The left-armed Vishwa Fernando was the best of the Sri Lankan bowlers and created the only chance of the morning, when Stubbs was dropped on 33 by Angelo Mathews at slip.
On a second successive day of bright sunshine, the pitch played easier than on the first two days, although there remained some assistance for the seam bowlers.
There was more toil for the bowlers after lunch as the batsmen moved methodically to their centuries – Stubbs’ third in six Tests and Bavuma’s third in 60 matches.
Stubbs was eventually dismissed 20 minutes before tea when he was bowled by Vishwa Fernando, exposing his leg stump as he attempted a flick to leg.
With tea due, Bavuma declared the innings closed when he was leg before wicket to Asitha Fernando.
The experienced Dimuth Karunaratne fell early to Rabada for the second time in the match, again edging a drive at a ball bowled from around the wicket. He was caught at third slip by Stubbs for four.
Pathum Nissanka showed positive intent in scoring 23 off 31 balls before falling leg before wicket to Coetzee almost immediately after gloving a catch to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne off what proved to be a Rabada no-ball.
Jansen, who took seven for 13 in the first innings, followed up with the wickets of Angelo Mathews (25) and Kamindu Mendis (10) before nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya fell to a reflex catch at short leg off Rabada after scoring a single.
Dinesh Chandimal was unbeaten on 29.
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